Monday, August 28, 2017

Max, SH and I went hiking over the weekend! We hiked Little Si , which was rated "easy" but let me tell you -- a 1300 ft elevation gain is no joke! The hike was great but I did find all the climbing up and up fairly strenuous lol so thank goodness I had my Power Up snacks with me!PowerUpmakes quality, healthy, delicious trail mixes with 100% natural ingredients. Plus, they come in multiple sizes and flavors! We took the "Mega Omega" snack size pouch with us which fit perfectly in my camelback, but my favorite flavor is definitely the "Antioxidant Mix" because hello it has dark chocolate!!I def recommend picking up a bag of Power Up trailmix before you hit your next hike! I received Power Up trail mix complimentary for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Happy Tuesday and happy August, friends! I want to take a moment to say please pray for my friend Quentin who is in the hospital with serious injuries after a motorcycle accident last week. Please pray for his speedy recovery and for his wife and family. He is being monitored in a very good hospital with excellent doctors, and we are hopeful. We could use all the good energy we can get. Thank you.

In other news, I am wrapping up my two week stint in Seattle to go back to LA, pack up the rest of my stuff, and get ready to make the big move! I have never lived out of California as an adult -- unless you count my 8 month stint in Colorado freshman year, which I don't really count.

There are a lot of changes happening -- I'm moving, starting a new job, getting married, SH and I just got a dog -- I'm very grateful and I think this is an important time in my life to reflect. I have been thinking a lot lately about the difference between "healthy striving" and "perfectionism" since I started reading The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. Brene says that healthy striving is self-focused and sounds like, "how can I improve?" while perfectionism is other-focused, and sounds like "what will they think?" Sometimes I surprise myself with my lack of self-awareness, to be honest, lol. I think of myself as a pretty self-aware person but this healthy striving vs. perfectionism thing really caught me off guard. I have been so concerned with what others think of me without even realizing it. I don't really consider myself a perfectionist in the usual ways one might think of a perfectionist -- for example, I have terribly messy handwriting, I often go outside without wearing make up, I don't mind being seen in my pajamas by my next door neighbors when I let my dog out, you know, things like that. But when I started training Max I noticed I would get a lot of side-eye from people around the neighborhood, and started catching myself thinking, "Max please just behave, you're embarrassing me. What will our neighbors think."

I realized in this moment that I do have some perfectionistic tendencies. But perfectionism isn't real! There's no such thing as being perfect. And actually, when people see me in my vulnerable state, chasing my loose dog around the neighborhood because he ran out the front door, or when I see them in their vulnerable state -- returning my neighbors' dog after he jumped the fence into our yard, again, we connect. We connect over our humanity. Over our pets. Over our wins, and losses. Over our hardships. I had a perfect stranger hug me over the weekend because she heard me screaming for my dog. She ran out and asked if I was ok. If I needed help. She brought dog treats, and a leash. She hugged my sweaty self, panting and out of breath having chased Max through yards.

It was in that moment that I realized how beautiful this vulnerability thing can be. We are all in this together, in the end. And at the end of the day, it's kind of fun to mess up and have some good stories to tell.

Friday, July 28, 2017

Like I mentioned on my Instagram, I am currently listening to the book, The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown. In her book she mentions that on Fridays she creates a gratitude list and I really love this idea. Practicing gratitude is known to improve health, well being and happiness. There is a lot of research on the subject. If you're interested in learning more, check out my suggested reading list at the bottom of this post.

Here is what I am thankful for this week:

1. I'm thankful for the time this week I have had to bond and train my new dog, Max.
2. I'm thankful for the healthy body that I have.
3. I'm thankful for the sunshine and natural beauty that surrounds us in our neighborhood, especially the vibrant blue flowers that Max and I see on our walks.
4. I'm thankful for the opportunity to shoot with an awesome photographer this week, it was really fun!
5. I'm thankful for the opportunity to get settled in my new home with few distractions, and ample time.
6. I'm thankful for the time I've had this week to be creative and practice calligraphy and hand lettering.
7. I'm thankful for the fun times I've had with friends this week.

What are you thankful for today?

Suggested reading list:

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Thursday, July 27, 2017

I love items that I can wear to work and on the weekends. Since I work 40 hours a week on top of blogging, most of my wardrobe consists of things I can wear to the office (black pants, blouses, heels, etc.) I fell in love with this ruffle top and bought it in navy as well. It's on sale right now for under $46 until August 6th! I recommend sizing down because it's a boxy fit. I love it. It's feminine meets casual, which is my style to a t. It's almost made of a light sweatshirt material so it's incredibly comfortable but the ruffle detail makes it look more formal, so it looks professional.

Hey friends! Happy Tuesday! I hope you're all having a great start to
the week. I have some big news to share... I am moving to Seattle in
August!! My fiance and I are super excited for this new chapter in our
lives and we can't wait to share it with all of you. Thanks as always
for your support and for following along on this journey with us!

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is still going strong! While a lot of items are sold out, my long sleeve tee which comes in 10 colors is still available in many sizes and is on sale for $19.90. (I'm wearing it in Grey Ebony in a size small, for reference.) My faux pearl studs are not on sale but they are super cute and great for work or every day wear, and they are only $38. I bought my leather jacket at Nordstrom Rack a few years ago, but I linked this year's leather moto jackets (the embroidered one is super trendy this year.) While a lot of the #NSale is geared toward stocking up on fall items to wear later, there are a number of items that can be worn now, especially great basics like tshirts!

Have you gotten anything at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale this year? Comment below with your finds. And also, if you're from the Seattle area, let me know if you have any recommendations for what SH and I should do!!